Case Study · NHS · Healthcare
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore
Two NHS projects: a virtually paperless Orthotics Department fed by HL7 patient data, and a QR-coded Operating Theatre stock control system tracking every item from goods-in to procedure.
Project 1 — Paperless Orthotics Department
Recruited to improve the efficiency of the Orthotics Department by creating a virtually paperless system, enabling faster and more responsive patient treatment.
What we delivered
- Delivered a newly automated batch-process interface to the hospital HL7 system that brings all patient demographic data into the SQL database back-end.
- Designed, tested and implemented a stores stock control system allowing the Orthotics Department to improve purchase ordering and see real-time stock levels.
- Dramatically reduced the need for paper-based processes, allowing a much improved workflow and lower error rate.
- Allowed Orthotists (consultants) to create electronic Job Cards and Specification Sheets for patients, passing from place to place electronically instead of on pieces of paper.
- Dramatically reduced a large source of errors from the workflow by eliminating badly hand-written data and allowing Orthotists to draw directly onto diagrams with a mouse or stylus and enter data or dimensions electronically.
- Successfully migrated all data and business logic from the FileMaker database into a Servoy front-end with a SQL back-end.
Project 2 — Operating Theatre Stock Control
Recruited to create another, more complex, stock control system to track all non-consumable items used in Operating Theatres.
What we delivered
- Moved RNOH from a manual, yearly stock take system to an electronic solution that tracks items from goods-in to Operating Theatre in real time.
- Delivered a unique QR barcoding system for each item to allow scanning by iOS devices.
- Used standard 1D barcodes to scan items at goods-in (decoding GS1 and HIBC symbologies), then generated a QR code for each item to allow easier subsequent scanning.
- Created a simple web-based iOS interface to move items to GLN locations using QR codes, allowing easy tracking and locating of items.
- Implemented a way of recording final usage of items in Operating Theatre, allowing reporting of costs of procedures, usage (and wastage) by consultant, and tracking of prostheses in patients in case of recall.
Technologies
- HL7
- SQL
- FileMaker → Servoy
- QR barcoding
- iOS
- GS1 / HIBC symbologies
- GLN location tracking